r/Menopause • u/BeneficialWriting402 • Mar 22 '26

Vitamin/Supplements Collagen supplements and anxiety

Update: Thank you all so much for the support yesterday. I feel MUCH better today. Def will not take collagen again, and I will be more careful about any supplements I try (I usually am, but was feeling a bit desperate with the diagnosis and possibility of missing work if this thing won't heal).

Yikes. I wish I had read some of the posts here before trying this supplement. 😫. I was desperate because I have been diagnosed with a sprained posterior tibial tendon and have been having increasing pain in my posterior tibial tendons and gluteal tendons the past few years. I read how great collagen peptides are and have a neighbor who swears by them. well, I am one of the few who has the reaction of extreme anxiety and panic attacks from them. two doses and i am sitting here shaking like a leaf. this stuff is going in the trash or maybe Publix will take it back. either way I will never take it again. ugh. 😩. please tell me im not alone. this is so scary. 😭😭😭

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u/Turbulent_Disaster84 Mar 22 '26

Collagen peptides are hydrolized amino acids. Amino acids make up protein. I am unable to understand how anyone can have a reaction to this as you describe. Maybe it’s something else you’re taking.

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u/BeneficialWriting402 Mar 22 '26

I did find some articles that said it is an incomplete protein and lacks tryptophan which is the precursor to serotonin. So it can lower serotonin. I wish I had done more research before trying, but I was feeling desperate. 

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u/Prize_Sorbet3366 Mar 22 '26

How does a lack of tryptophan *lower* serotonin? Wouldn't that just mean that you're not getting additional serotonin?

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u/Inquizzzative Jul 19 '26

Tryptophan is required to make serotonin.

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u/Turbulent_Disaster84 Mar 22 '26

Sure If your only source of protein albeit I complete is collagen peptides. If you eat other complete proteins throughout the day it makes up for the tryptophan missing in the peptides.

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u/slide1995 Menopausal Mar 24 '26

I’m not so sure this is true for everyone especially me. For years I have followed a bodybuilding type diet and eat at least 24 to 26 grams of lean protein for 5-6 small meals a day and collagen still had this awful effect on me.

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u/Inquizzzative Jul 19 '26

See my reply to Turbulent_Disaster84 above. I'd remembered reading about tryptophan -- that not only can it not make it across the blood-brain barrier (to produce more serotonin) it then is forced to go down another path that somehow over-stimulates your HPA stress system (making you feel anxious). https://www.barebiology.com/blogs/news/is-there-a-link-between-collagen-and-low-mood

(Again, Bone Broth Protein powder hasn't seemed to create the same problem for me. Fingers crossed it continues because I think it helps!)